An interesting few weeks coming up....

[johnno]

In the last few weeks, we've seen sides just in the 8 or just outside it win because they've had to. It's now the swans turn. For the most part of the season, we've been sitting comfortably in the 8, now we are in 8th spot, we need to respond. In recent weeks Stkilda, Essendon, Fremantle, Melbourne, kangas and bulldogs have done it, and now it's our turn, like I said, it's going to be an interesting few weeks coming up.

[On-Baller]

I would have thought todays game was as big a crunch game you could get outside a final.

The dogs have had the wood over us in recent times bar maybe one win for us.I cant see us going anywhere near them next week,unless there is wholesale changes and an emphasis put on youth.

[Bas]

Fortunately with the Dogs losing today, will ensure we stay in 8th next week if the Dogs win but then we face an improving bunch of teams so the possibility is that we may only beat Tigers and Lions on current form of both the other teams and us.

I would like to see the younger guys get some finals exposure for experience but slip slip slipping away.

Both L J and Everitt were on crutches today at the ressies. I'd like to see Gordon and Meredith get some more senior experience.

[Owen87]

Melbourne, St Kilda and Freo all have a game in hand on us as well which makes the next few weeks even more interesting.

I just had a play around with ladder predicator on the AFL website and ended up with us finishing 7th and playing an elimination final against St Kilda

[Bleed Red Blood]

Melbourne, St Kilda and Freo all have a game in hand on us as well which makes the next few weeks even more interesting.

I just had a play around with ladder predicator on the AFL website and ended up with us finishing 7th and playing an elimination final against St Kilda

Was it 2004 when Sydney and the Saints had an elimination final at the G, torrential rain, we lost. I recall Schneider had a great game.

If it did come to that this year I reckon the Saints would find an extra gear and we'd fall away. Hopefully we can draw Hawthorn or Essendon, we could beat those teams give us an extra finals game into Jetta and Reid etc. but we clearly are a long way from C'Wood and Geelong. I can see us beating Carlton and Freo if they really gave it a go.

[Owen87]

Was it 2004 when Sydney and the Saints had an elimination final at the G, torrential rain, we lost. I recall Schneider had a great game.

If it did come to that this year I reckon the Saints would find an extra gear and we'd fall away. Hopefully we can draw Hawthorn or Essendon, we could beat those teams give us an extra finals game into Jetta and Reid etc. but we clearly are a long way from C'Wood and Geelong. I can see us beating Carlton and Freo if they really gave it a go.

2004 we lost the Semi final to the saints at the G. It was the elimination final that year it was pouring and we beat West Coast

St Kilda is a team that not too many teams would want to play in the finals i think, and it appears to be that they are hitting form at the right time

[mcs]

I'll just be glad if we make it given our recent form. We haven't improved as the year has gone on, our skills are still woeful, decision making terrible and we still have no idea at all about what our forward line is going to become (or who apart from Sammy will be in it). We play about 1 1/2 quarters a game on aver . I still think we can salvage a home final out of if we find some form and quickly (maybe the bye will do us good?), but we have to beat the Dogs next week for any chance of that happening.

The playing group needs to have a good hard look at themselves and what they want to get out of the season. If they are happy with scraping into the finals and maybe winning one fine then we can dandy along as we are. But if they want to do better, than a fair few of them need to find that desperation and heart they showed in the last quarter and do it consistenly for 4 quarters every week. For the one sad thing for me is that I think most of us fans can see the brilliant potential in the team, but I can't think of once where we have put in a genuine 4 quarter performance all year. I truly believe that if we were to turn up, play for the full four quarters then with the exception of Collingwood and Geelong (and perhaps Hawthorn and Carlton), I think we can match any other team in the competition. Our skills must improve for that to happen however and I can't see it. Its pretty simple what the focus will need to be on during the off season though.

We are three pieces away from being a Premiership contender. 1 is a forward line (Tough), 1 is much improved skills (hard) and 1 is playing 4 quarters of good quality footy week in week out (difficult). All hard ot solve, but fixing the last two will certainly help solve the first problem, and we are only probably a few players away from having a list that is in my opinion good enough to win a flag over the next few years.

[Bas]

We are three pieces away from being a Premiership contender. 1 is a forward line (Tough), 1 is much improved skills (hard) and 1 is playing 4 quarters of good quality footy week in week out (difficult). All hard ot solve, but fixing the last two will certainly help solve the first problem, and we are only probably a few players away from having a list that is in my opinion good enough to win a flag over the next few years.

That is NOT three easy pieces either.

[johnno]

What I'm getting at is now that we HAVE to win, it'll be interesting to see how the boys/team responds. In years gone by whenever we've HAD to win, the boys almost always responded. I'm interested to see what happens.

[Matt79]

Saturday should be a belter of a game with both sides desperately needing the points. So disappointed to see more rain forecast